Monthly Archives: September 2019

The Ethereum Foundation announced that they are pushing back Ethereum’s testnet activation of the Istanbul hard fork to early October. Ethereum’s testnet activation of the Istanbul hard fork has been pushed back to early October, according to the community manager of the Ethereum Foundation, Hudson Jameson. According to CoinDesk on Sept. 6, Jameson said on a developers’ call that the testnet launch of the hard fork is now scheduled to take place in the beginning of October. He added: “For anyone listening in who doesn’t know how […]

Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Jerome Powell said that the Fed is monitoring digital currencies carefully, but not working on its own. Chairman of the United States Federal Reserve Jerome Powell said that the United States Federal Reserve is monitoring digital currencies carefully, but not working on its own at the moment. Speaking at a forum in Zurich, Switzerland, on Sept. 6, Powell addressed the issue of cryptocurrencies, arguing that central banks would likely will not release their own digital currency in the near future. Powell […]

Encrypted instant messaging service Telegram officially released its TON testnet explorer and node software, with its Gram token due in two months. The encrypted instant messaging service Telegram has released the Telegram Open Network (TON) testnet explorer and node software. Telegram token due in two months On Sept. 6, Telegram released its Telegram Open Network (TON) testnet explorer and node software on its website, two months ahead of its planned launch of the Gram digital currency. As Cointelegraph reported on Aug. 28, three anonymous investors in Telegram’s $1.7 billion […]

The Malta Financial Services Authority said in its strategic plan that it will actively monitor crypto firms to prevent crypto-related crimes. The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) says in its recently published strategic plan that it will actively monitor and manage business-related risks related to cryptocurrency firms. Monitor crypto firms to prevent crypto-related crimes On Sept. 6, the MFSA published its three-year strategic plan for 2019–2021 which states the Malta financial regulator will strive to modernize their regulatory approach to be one step ahead of industry developments. The […]

Social media giant Facebook has hired two more lobbyists to aid the release of its forthcoming Libra stablecoin following regulatory pushback. Social media giant Facebook has hired two more lobbyists to aid the release of its forthcoming Libra stablecoin. As Bloomberg reported on Sept. 5, lobbying disclosures filed earlier this week revealed that William Hollier, the president of legislative and regulatory counseling firm Hollier Associates LLC, began lobbying for Facebook on blockchain policy, among other matters, in late August. Previously, Hollier worked for U.S. Republican Sen. Mike […]

Turkey’s Istanbul Clearing, Settlement and Custody Bank announced it has completed its blockchain-based platform for transferring physical gold. Turkey’s Istanbul Clearing, Settlement and Custody Bank (Takasbank) has announced its blockchain-based platform for trading physical gold. Dubbed BiGA, Takasbank’s new project aims to enable people to transfer physical gold stored at the Borsa Istanbul Stock Exchange (BIST), Turkey’s sole exchange entity, through digitized gold units on a blockchain, the bank announced on Sept. 6. The units, which are similar in form and function to physically-backed stablecoins, have their […]

Ripple rolls out crypto-based cross-border payments for PNC, one of biggest banks in the U.S. Stablecoins have a goal of putting an end to the recent volatility of the crypto market — and in doing so, they have opened the door to crypto usage for institutional investors, which has long been considered an important milestone on the road to mainstream adoption. One of the ways that institutional investors are looking to implement crypto solutions is in cross-border payments and remittances. The RippleNet blockchain is one such product, […]

A Sinochem subsidiary is reportedly in negotiations with Shell and Macquarie regarding the development of a blockchain platform for the oil sector. A subsidiary of Chinese oil and chemical giant Sinochem Group is reportedly in discussions regarding a blockchain platform with Royal Dutch Shell and Australian financial services firm Macquarie Group. As Reuters reported on Sept. 5, sources familiar with the matter said that Sinochem Energy Technology entered into negotiations with the two companies to examine the development of a blockchain platform for crude oil in July. […]

Michael Novogratz’s crypto merchant bank Galaxy Digital has gained FINRA approval to underwrite public offerings of securities. Michael Novogratz’s cryptocurrency investment bank Galaxy Digital has gained approval from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) to underwrite registered public offerings of securities. As reported by Bloomberg on Sept. 6, the company has its sights on facilitating security token offerings, or STOs. FINRA is a non-governmental private organization that acts as a self-regulatory body for member firms and exchange markets. The Goldman Sachs of cryptocurrencies Novogratz is a former […]

The CEO of tZERO, Saum Noursalehi, has issued an update on tZERO’s progress and addressed the departure of Overstock.com’s CEO Patrick Byrne. The CEO of Overstock’s blockchain subsidiary tZERO, Saum Noursalehi, has issued an update on tZERO’s progress and addressed the departure of Overstock’s CEO Patrick Byrne. In a letter to investors published on Sept. 6, Noursalehi addressed Byrne’s resignation as the CEO of American e-commerce giant Overstock.com. Noursalehi assured that Byrne’s departure will not have an impact on tZERO’s daily operations and implementation of the firm’s […]